Hummus a Few - Yeah, I Knew That Tune!

Hummus is  a great Lenten food.  To read about its virtues go to http://www.livestrong.com/article/280687-nutritional-value-of-hummus/ 

 

To make hummus- keep reading.

 

I will first admit that although I used to (years ago) make the best hummus, recently it seemed I just couldn't get it right.  It wasn't creamy and it wasn't the right flavor.  So I called a friend from the Middle East and she gave me her recipe (below) and explained what I was doing wrong. 

 

First you have to :

• Crush 2 cloves of garlic (you can roast the garlic first) and mix it with 1/2 t salt. (Mistake #1- I was adding onions but not garlic.)



Don't use onions.  Use garlic.

 
Then:
• Drain 1 can of chick peas and add 3 T of Tahini to chick peas and mix in food processor. Discard juice.






Don't save juice from can.  Dump it and use cold water

 
 
 
• Add 1/4 c lemon (juice from one lemon), 1/4 c cold water and 1T olive oil.
 
 
 






• Process some more till smooth, like cake batter
 
 
 
 



Until it's a cake batter consistency. 

 
Now, HERE'S THE TRICK!!! According to her cookbook, lemon makes it thicker and water makes it thinner!  Who knew?!  So if you want the spread to be thinner, add water.  (Mistake #2- I kept adding the wrong liquid and couldn't figure out why it was so thick.) 

 

Put in bowl. Top with fresh parsley and drizzle with olive oil.  Serve. 

 

 

I'll go back to Tara! What?! Taramosalata! After all, Tomorrow Needs Another Meal.

It’s funny.  I feel like I have to be reticent (even though I am posting on a public blog) as if I were doing something wrong.  I feel like I am breaking the cook’s code of secrecy by freely sharing family recipes.  Why does this feel so wrong?  Why do people hoard their recipes? 

As many of you already know from my FACEBOOK posts, we held an open house last week.  In these parts they call it a “drop in.”  One of the dishes I prepared was a TARAMOSALATA.  What is it?  It’s a whipped caviar spread, best described as a salty, lemony mayonnaise.  The base ingredient is Tarama, carp roe (fish egg) caviar.  Most people use a recipe with a boiled potato or a few slices of bread, minus the crust.  I find the use of potatoes and or bread makes the spread too thick.  I use a recipe that avoids these thickeners. 

·         In a blender, mix 2T tarama and 1T warm water to break up the fish eggs. 

·         Mix in I chopped onion. You might even increase the speed here to puree the onions. 

·         Add 4T lemon juice.

·         Add 1T vinegar. (I used apple cider)

·         Add ¼t sugar.

·         Most recipes call for ½ t garlic, but I don’t add garlic.  The raw onion is strong enough for me.

·         Now, this is where it can get messy.   Add 2 ½ to 3 cups canola oil.    SLOWLY pour the oil through the hole in the top as the blender is running.  If you pour the oil too fast, the spread will clog, only mix from the bottom, and not pull down the spread to incorporate the ingredients.  If it does clog you can always add a teaspoon of water, turn off blender and mix ingredients and then turn blender on again.  BE SURE TO HAVE BLENDER COVER ON when the blades are spinning!  J

Although I made the spread for the party, it is a great Lenten staple since it can be eaten on fasting days.  Taramosalata is great over fresh Italian or French bread.  It’s even better on wheat in a TLC (Taramosalata, Lettuce and Cucumber) sandwich. 

It’s even REALLY good as a salad dressing.  I recently plopped a tablespoon over a serving of shredded romaine lettuce, scooped it onto warmed pita bread and added thinly sliced red onion.  It’s like a Greek Caesar Salad… I'll call it the Alexander (the Great) Salad.  J

Oh, oh!  I think I hear the Recipe Police knocking at my door!  Try it of you like.  Let me know how it works.